ISVMA veterinarians must continue to communicate
with their legislators regarding their opposition to House Bill 315 and
Senate Bill 2078 (Rabies Tax bills). Both bills can be voted upon as early
as Wednesday of this week.

The supporters of the bills continue to organize
a substantial lobbying effort - full of incorrect assumptions and
misrepresentation. According to them, veterinarians oppose the bill only
because they are against collecting the additional fee. They ignore our very
serious reasons for opposition. To see an example of their propaganda, visit
the PAWS website at:

Even if you've already spoken to or written your legislators, it is
important to follow up with them. Your legislator may have voted against the
Rabies Tax Bill the first time it was called. However, the proponents of the
bills are trying to persuade your legislators to change their votes!

House Bill 315 and
Senate Bill 2078 increase the tax on rabies vaccinations $3 per
year, placing an unfair tax burden on responsible pet owners who
properly vaccinate their animals. This additional tax on rabies
vaccinations is a further disincentive for people to vaccinate pets
against a dangerous and deadly disease. In many cases, the existing
taxes imposed by local and county governments already exceed the
cost of the vaccine.

During the past
year, Illinois experienced a significant increase in the diagnosis
of bat rabies. Skunk rabies was recently diagnosed in two domestic
animals in north-central Illinois (a cow and a horse). Raccoon
rabies is also rapidly spreading west toward Illinois. Illinois
veterinarians and public health officials are concerned about the
convergence of these three separate strains of rabies in Illinois at
a time when rabies vaccination compliance in the state is less than
50%. Any government program that relies upon funds generated by an
increase in the tax on rabies vaccination is dangerous public
policy.

House Bill 315 and
Senate Bill 2078 exempt farm dogs from county registration
requirements – creating a situation where those animals most likely
to be exposed to rabies will no longer have to verify their
compliance status with counties.

Any program aimed
at reducing the stray population in Illinois must include a public
relations campaign to educate pet owners about the benefits of spay
/ neuter because lack of education is the greatest barrier to
population control. The ISVMA supports alternate funding proposals
that would equitably generate funds to provide responsible pet
ownership education and promote effective population control
programs.

Illinois’
veterinarians are committed to efforts to reduce the number of
unwanted and abandoned animals in Illinois and to advance the
well-being of animals and the public. All across the state,
veterinarians participate in existing programs to provide low-cost
spays/neuters, promote animal adoption, and encourage responsible
pet ownership that includes appropriate vaccination, responsible pet
ownership education and preventative health maintenance.

Proponents of the
bills suggest that their proposal will raise money for no cost or
low cost spay/neuter services and lessen the numbers of stray and
vicious dogs. Those are admirable and appropriate goals. Taxing
people for vaccinating their pets, however, is not a good way of
accomplishing those goals. Medical doctors are not asked to collect
a state tax on vaccinations that prevent diseases that kill humans.
Why would the state require veterinarians to collect a tax on a
vaccination that prevents a disease that kills humans?

It’s true the
proposed tax of three dollars per rabies vaccination may be
affordable to many pet owners. However, this bill opens the door for
the state to tax more medical services and leaves open the question
of what the cost of obtaining quality health care for your pet will
be in a few years.

Caring for native wildlife and teaching veterinary students are just two of
the missions of the Wildlife Medical Clinic. We also strive, through our
public education program, to teach the members of our community about the
environment in which they live and the wildlife they share it with. With
the help of the community and government agencies, we are able to identify
trends in infectious diseases, provide important clues concerning disease
transmission, and assist with many conservation initiatives.

As
a non profit organization, the Wildlife Medical Clinic holds a fund-raising
event called Doodle for Wildlife to raise money to care for our native
wildlife. Please visit:

As Catholic cardinals
gather in the Vatican City to elect a new pope, it seemed like a good idea
to highlight the bird named after their red robes.

More states
have adopted the Northern Cardinal as their state bird than any other bird.
These states are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio,
Virginia, and West Virginia. Their range is primarily in the South, East and
Midwest, although a few have been reported in California.

The male's
bright red plumage is matched by the clarity of his varied calls. The male
has a black patch around his beak and a tufted crest. Even the female, whose
plumage is a duller red with brown, is an accomplished singer. And they both
will sing all year-long, brightening the snowy backyards as well as the warm
spring mornings, sometimes singing a duet.

Cardinals
mate for life. If you see one, look closely into the trees, bushes, or brush
for the other. They prefer a dense area, such as a thicket or thickly
branched tree to make their nest of twigs and grass. Mom will lay 3 - 5 eggs
and incubate them, while Dad will bring her food. When the young Cardinals
can fly, Dad may watch over them while Mom may begin a second brood.

Cardinals
have cone shaped bills adapted to eating seeds of all sorts. In the wild,
this bird has a varied diet of fruit, seed, and insects. Attract Cardinals
to your backyard birdfeeder by offering sunflower seed and cracked corn.
Watch as they feed their mates at your feeder, especially during the spring
and into the summer. As they offer each other a seed, the pair will touch
beaks briefly, almost as if they were gazing longingly into each other's
eyes. Also for your Cardinals, plant some shrubs with berries as well as
some dense shrubs where they may nest and raise their young.

I took this photo near San Ygnacio,
Texas in January, 2005.

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